Nightmare's Become Reality
by RanmaAndAkane4Love
Summary: Now that Ranma And Akane have come home after the Saffron encounter , and the wedding failed, Ranma had thought he could relax and keep Akane safe, and she would never come so close to dieing ever again.. But reoccurring dreams tell him otherwise ,
1. Chapter 1 A Nightmare

Nightmares Become Reality

Writer : Alright this one is a sad one, so be prepared. However, I don't know if I'm killing anyone off, so stay! Hehehe, anyway I'll let you get to the story soon but I must thank Jeschura, Charbonne, and nikkidanielle14because they are nice, and if you're in the mood to read something sweet and nice that has romance and fighting then go and read "Challenging Love Skates" It's a good one lol, even though it's not complete yet.

Another thing is that I'm putting my sadness in it so don't be shocked if there is a lot of angst in it :; / (Do I sound cheesy or what?)

Okay I'll stop wasting your time (although I don't think many of you read this part 'cause I don't sometimes XD )

Akane : This Writer does not own anything!

Ps, my new beta reader is.. FrictionX42! Thanks a lot foe doing this for me =D

Again Ranma Saotome was standing back at Jusenkyo, seeing the water fading into the ground before his eyes, "No!" Ranma yelled, rushing forward. The moment he took a step, however, he found himself at the Jusendo Caves. Suddenly a figure appeared before him, blazing with a fiery light. Blinking against the sudden brightness, Ranma could make out the sillohuette of another body against the first. As Ranma blinked again, his vision cleared and he found he could see the figures much more easily.

The first figure was the Phoenix King himself. Saffron stood before him again.

"What the hell?" Ranma asked, but then he saw Akane in Saffron's arms, Akane was in a strange black cloak that was ripped and burned, her eyes were closed, her face dirty and bruised. It was obvious that she had been through something horrible. Ranma didn't even try to fight the surge of anger flowing through him. Sheer rage suffused his entire body, and Ranma felt ready and willing to do anything necessary to get Akane back.

"Saffron! You take your damned hands OFF HER!" Ranma roared as he charged. The subject of Ranma's ire let out an arrogant laugh that echoed thoughout the cave, and just as quickly as he'd appeared Saffron was gone!

"Where are you? Get back here you bastard!" Ranma yelled as he looked around. He saw no one. Ranma started to run, to look for Saffron and Akane, but suddenly it was like the ground had dropped out from beneath him and Ranma felt that he was falling. He had an odd, twisting sensation in the pit of his stomach.

As he looked down he saw someone running. The person was in the same black cloak he'd seen Akane in moments ago and the person was running... from Ranma? Ranma felt like he was watching his own life from above, as his body closed in on the person in the black cloak he had been chasing.

"Get BACK HERE! WHERE IS AKANE?" the Ranma doing the chasing demanded as he kicked at the cloaked stranger.

_**"What the Hell is going on?" **_the Ranma watching from above asked as he saw himself kick at the figure clad in dark shrouds. He watched, astonished as the target fell. The second Ranma stalked to the fallen body and ripped the hood off of the person that had just fallen, and revealed the face of Akane!

"No..." both Ranmas protested, unbelieving.

Then the vision of it all faded into blackness and Ranma took the place of his own body. He saw Akane laying on the ground before him, "Akane..? What's going on? " he asked, but she gave him no answer. She slowly rose to her feet and pulled the tattered shreds of the black cloak around herself again. Once done with that, she raised the hood over her head once more. Ranma could still see her face under the hood, however, and what he saw unnerved him more than anything he'd witnessed before.

Akane's face... It was almost lifeless, held no emotion, and was disturbingly pale.

"Akane?" he asked again, only to be ignored as she turned away from him and began to run faster then he had ever seen her run before.

"Akane!" Ranma yelled as he ran after her into the inky blackess. As he ran, Ranma noted that the air was getting heavier and felt wetter, somehow. Soon he was surrounded by fog, but could hear a dull, constant roar from somwhere nearby. He made his way towards the sound. "Akane!" he called out to the dark. Then he found her. near by was a waterfall. Akane's feet were still in the water. It looked to Ranma as if she had fallen from the top of the waterfall and somehow managed to drag herself almost all the way to the shore. She was laying on the ground and bleeding heavily from cuts and gashes all over her body. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall swept away the blood oozing from her lower legs, almost as if it was greedily sucking away her life force.

'No..'

Ranma shook his head to snap himself out of shock, "No!" he yelled as he rushed to her bloody body. He picked her up in his arms as he knelt down beside her, she was so pale, she was barely even breathing. Ranma's eyes began to blur with tears that he couldn't fight back no matter how hard he tried. "N-No.." he murmured.

"I'm … _**So**_ … _s.. orry" _He heard Akane whisper. Her eyes did not open but somehow Ranma felt that she knew it was him.

"Sorry? Sorry for what? " he asked, but then the last of her breath died and Akane lay still in Ranma's arms. "Akane! Hold on!" he yelled, crushing the lifeless body to his chest in anguish and dispair.

Then he heard the chilling laughter again, mocking him from every direction.

"Where are you? What did you do!" he challenged the air around him.

More laughter met his demands. "Did you in all honesty think you could get rid of me _**that**_easily?" the voice asked, cruel and vicious.

"What?" Ranma asked, taken aback by the unexpected question.

"Shame too... the poor stupid girl. Such a pity she was the one to suffer for your wrongs… and she was such a good fighter too... if only her heart did not belong to one such as you and she did not take your place…" the voice continued, slow and mocking as if to draw out every potential bit of pain in Ranma.

"What? She - She - my wrongs? What did..? What did you do?" Ranma demanded angrily.

"Well .. Saotome ..? Where is that fire you had..? Why so weak now..? .. So .. Tell me Saotome, you thought you could get rid of me?" the voice asked again.

"Who are you?" Ranma asked, directing the question at the disembodied voice but unable to tear his eyes away from Akane. Tears sliding down his face, Ranma was just able to notice something forming above the water. It was a winged form, thin and lean with harsh eyes and an arrogant smile. His lips were curled back as it laughed the same laugh that had been haunting Ranma.

"Well, you were dead wrong!" yelled Saffron as he finished appearing before Ranma. He shot across the space between them, moving at inhuman speed, even faster than Ranma had ever been able to go, then …

"NOO!" screamed Ranma as he jumped out of his bed, sweat dripping from his face.

He put a hand to his chest, feeling his heart race through the thin material of his shirt. "Not again." he whispered, for once wishing his dad was there, if for nothing else other than to knock him out the window and into the koi pond, to wake him up and stop the nightmares early on.

Ever since their time at Jusenkyo, Genma had been sleeping elsewhere, and wasn't around to provide even his ridiculously minute amount of parental support.

Ranma sighed deeply as he lay awake. That was the fourth one this week! He'd been having nightmares ever since they all returned from Jusenkyo...many of them a lot alike, Akane dying or something. He counted himself blessed when he could forget his nightmares, but he always had a feeling in the bottom of his heart that perhaps the parts he forgot contained something important. He shivered, hoping as he did every time he awoke from horrid nightmares that it meant nothing-that it was just a dream like any other.

Ranma sighed as he recalled that his life was seldom so courteous. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep until he did it **again**, Ranma hopped up to his feet and made his way to the window. He slid it open slowly so that it wouldn't make any sound and used it to hop out onto the roof. Walking on tiptoes, he silently made his way to Akane's window, hoping that she hadn't locked it that night.

Holding his breath, Ranma then slowly opened Akane's bedroom window, pushed aside her curtains, and to his great relief he saw the young girl in her bed, lightly snoring, her hands held cutely up near her face and her lips and cheeks light pink, in contrast to the stark death-like pallor of his nightmares.

He sighed in relief as he took a step onto her desk and then made his way down to the floor near her bed. He stared at her face, losing himself again in just watching her sleep as he knelt down beside her and took her small hand in his. The warmth almost shocked him. To think that her hand was once so cold… her lips light blue, her cheeks so pale and dirty, her eyes closed in permanent sleep... He loved her eyes - when happy or ecstatic they burned with an adorable fire but then to see them closed at Jusendo… to think about the fear he'd felt when he thought she had… when he thought he'd lost...

'Dear God please... don't let these damn dreams mean**anything**', begged Ranma to whoever might be listening. He then turned to look at her beautiful face… No, Ranma vowed, he was not going to let her get hurt ever again. And if she ever got hurt again, so help the one who did it, because he was going to make sure that they suffered.

**~=+Else where+=~**

A harsh laugh echoed though out an elaborately bedecked hall. A figure shuffled along it, moving slowly towards the sound of the sardonic mirth.

"My Lord? What do you find amusing?" asked the figure, a hunched over old man with odd feathers on his back.

The laughter stopped abruptly and was replaced by an equally cruel voice, "Jeeves! How dare you interrupt me!" demanded a winged figure from behind a transparent drape.

"Oh please my lord! Forgive my insolence!" plead Jeeves as he fell to his knees and bowed deeply.

"*Humph* I should punish you but… seeing as I'm in the mood I'm in... I'll allow you to know of my newfound plan..." the voice said with an audible grin.

"Plan, my lord?" asked Jeeves.

"Yes. My plan to regain my full power, and to take my vengeance upon that _**boy**_"he spat out the last word as though it was poison to him.

"My lord! You have found a way to regain the Jusen water?" Jeeves asked hopefully.

"Yes. As you know that damned girl took some with her and with out it all I cannot gain my full power and become immortal..."

"Lord Saffron, how do you plan to regain the water? I thought it was impossible to take it back after it has been used."

"Yes, but you see Jeeves I am in no mood to wait over 100 years for the water to regenerate, so I have devised a plan…" explained Saffron.

An arrogant grin formed upon Saffron's lips as he got up from his bed and pulled the curtain aside. Before Jeeves stood Saffron. At the moment, he looked to be in his late teens rather than his full adult age, the effect of not having all the Jusen water.

"Go And fetch Kima!" demanded Saffron.

"Yes Lord Saffron!" Jeeves shouted as he got up and went to do as he was told.

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Writer : alright I know the Dream Ranma Had was hard to understand .. But it's kinda intended for ya to not understand, also it was hard because we all know how dreams don't make sense lol ,

(Also do you like the banner up there *{+}*** {+}* ? )

Okay another thing this part was to kinda' get ya into it , so to help again it's of Saffron and not in every Fanfic does it have that (Okay well not in any I have seen )

Please be nice, Please? Pretty Please? With Sugar on Top? And maybe a Cherry!

Alright another thing Hit that Button that Says 'Review' you Never know.. It may have a cookie, wait a Cookie? I want it! Mine!

Beta Reader: I want a cookie.


	2. Chapter 2 wounds

Nightmare's Become Reality

Writer : *Sniff* okay.. Go on .. Read the FanFic ,

Akane: Aww What's Wrong?

Writer : There … *Sniff* There -There was no cookie, *Cry*

_**WAAAAAA!**_

Akane: Uhh There is no reason to cry over a cookie!

Writer "Yes there is! It was my cookie! WAAAAAAA!

Akane: Stop crying you big baby!

Ranma : Aww don't be so mean Akane,

Akane : Oh go and take her side

Ranma: This ain't about sides it's about you being mean to some girl about a cookie. and you call me Rude and childish ,

Akane" What did you say?

Writer : Hey you two, no fighting, then it'll be longer till the reader can read the story.

Akane : Can we fight when the reader is reading?

Writer : As long as you two don't make too much noise.

Akane: Good.

Ranma: *Gulp* You traitor...

Writer : Aww sorry Ranma, next time I'll give you a cookie then I'll sell you out, no just kidding no cookie for you ^^ but Akane if you hurt him real bad,

*Gives Akane a scary glare *

Akane : *Gulp*

Writer : I have my ways of making life hell. But I can be super sweet so don't make me show you that other side of me =)

Akane : Uh - uh alright um this w-writer does not own anything so um... don't sue her…

Thanks go to

V

Jeschura Charbonne nikkidanielle14

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Ranma awoke to find that he had fallen asleep in Akane's room. He had been leaning against her bed for most of the night, and he found himself hoping desperately that he hadn't snored. He glanced around for a fearful moment, worried that perhaps she was about to jump out of nowhere and mallet him into downtown Tokyo. Akane was still asleep however, and he realized that he was still holding her hand. To his further amazement, she even seemed to be grasping at his hand in return.

Another thing he realized was that last night had been the first time he hadn't woke to a nightmare of her dying in weeks.

He looked at her smiling face. It seemed as if she was having a good dream. 'Lucky' he thought sadly. 'It's been forever since I've had a good dream.'

Ranma didn't want to, but he slowly pried his fingers out of her hand and tried to pull away. When he did so, however, Akane tightened her grip on his hand in response. Ranma, in no small amount of shock, tried again. He needed to get out of there before Akane woke up, because making Akane angry first thing in the morning was the last thing he wanted at the moment. He pulled away again, this time a little bit harder, but froze and nearly gasped aloud when he heard Akane mumble softly.

"No. Mine..." Akane said in her sleep, breathing the words with a dreamy lilt.

Ranma couldn't move a muscle. He was captivated by the look of contentment on her face. He could not help but see how cute she seemed at the moment, but again his survival instincts kicked in and he slowly but firmly wrested his hand out of her grip, gently wrapping her arm around her pillow. Akane embraced it tightly and Ranma again felt a surge of emotions as he peered at the young woman smiling adorably as she hugged the pillow in her sleep. Ranma gazed at her as long as he felt was safe, then sighed quietly and left the room as silently as he'd entered.

Moments later, Akane 's eyes opened. She blearily peered at the pillow held tightly in her arms and mused,

"that was an odd dream. Well maybe... No it's silly, that would never-" Akane's words stopped in her mouth as she remembered her 'dream':

The curtains flaring slightly was the only indication that Ranma had stolen into her room. She was 'asleep' on her bed, and Ranma stood over her. Rather than being perverted like she'd accused him of so many times, she could tell by his stance that he was there out of concern. He approached her slowly, as if unsure of what exactly he wanted to do. Finally, he'd settled on gently taking her own hand in his. She'd marveled at how well her tiny hands fit within his grip. 'Dream' Akane hadn't even awakened, Ranma had been so gentle and caring. Ranma had settled down on the floor and rapidly fallen fast asleep, still holding her hand. Akane had considered waking him for some time, but then figured that it had to have been a dream, then closed her eyes and drifted back into slumber, all the while enjoying the contact that she and Ranma were sharing.

Akane blinked a couple of times. Had that been a dream? It had seemed remarkably realistic. She looked at the hand that Ranma had held, and felt it tingle slightly. She brought it up to her face to take a closer look and for just a moment, she imagined that she could smell him. She dismissed it as the overactive imagination brought on by the early morning, but the corners of he mouth tugged upwards regardless.

Ranma sat on the roof, thoughts of his dream racing through his overtaxed mind. He felt that there was something he was forgetting, something vitally important and it vexed him. As he pondered, he caught himself wondering why it bothered him so much, and why it bothered him so much that it was bothering him at all. His head was starting to hurt as he lost himself.

"Ranma?" a voice called up from the ground. Surprised, Ranma almost fell off of the roof, but relaxed when he realized who the voice belonged to. Kasumi was outside, watering her plants. Mentally cursing himself for not being more mindful of his surroundings, Ranma returned her greeting.

"Oh, Hey Kasumi!" he called as cheerfully as he could muster. She waved up at him happily.

"Ranma, breakfast will be ready soon, and you look awfully cold up there, so why don't you take a bath while I finish it up?" she asked.

"Sounds like a great idea, Kasumi! Thanks!" he said as he hopped off and went off to follow her suggestion, feeling that a good soak and a great breakfast would do him a world of good.

**O**

"Yes my lord?" Asked The winged woman, Kima, as she knelt before Saffron.

"I have made plans to regain my power, and to have my revenge." he said, eyes glinting with a cold fury.

Kima stayed silent, knowing that Saffron was in a dark mood and she did not wish to bear the focus of it herself. Saffron didn't wait for her response.

"I will tell you my plans and I will play them out as I command." He stated offhandedly, making it sound less like an order and more like a fact.

"Yes lord." she said, bowing again to the teenaged monarch. From her time working under him she knew that he liked having his ego stoked. She did so with a carefully worded question.

"Does this have to do with tormenting of the boy in his dreams?"

Saffron let out a chuckle, a harsh-sounding laugh that did little to soothe Kima's mood. With an arrogant grin, he answered.

"Very good Kima, it is all too entertaining to see the wretch suffer, but that is far from his only punishment. As you know I give and take the memories he has when he wakes,

but there is more to it, it's like scaring a mouse into it's hole. But as entertaining as he may be, I will use the girl more. Have you Fixed the Gekkaja?" Saffron inquired suddenly.

"Not yet my Lord, but it is soon to be," she informed.

"And have you taken the rest of the Jusen water out of the ground?" he asked, narrowing his eyes with impatience.

"Nearly, my lord. We are having trouble taking the mud and dirt out of it so it may be the pure Jusen water again." Kima said, blanching at the look of distaste that crossed her ruler's visage as she reported the status of the project in question.

"Hmm. Did you get the location of where the blades of innocents and malevolence are?" he asked.

"My deepest apologies for my failure, my lord. We have not seen it and the prisoner will not talk." Again the questioning gaze fell upon Kima, this time with less wrath and more of a predatory look.

"How much torture do you think it will take to make him talk?" he asked, eyes practically sparkling as he envisioned the horrible things he could unleash upon his prisoner.

"I am not sure my lord. Perhaps a night of being roasted over hot flames will do the trick?" she suggested hoping that the idea would put her liege in a better mood.

"Hmm... I like that. Yes, then afterwards, let's put him on Mt. Bitter Winter, the one place where it is so bitingly frigid that he will beg to go back on the fire! Maybe that will make him talk." Saffron mused with a soft chortle.

"Splendid idea, my lord. We shall begin immediately." Kima bowed, grateful that she was not to bear the brunt of her leader's wrath like many others had in recent times.

"Good. Now go" Saffron ordered with a dismissing gesture.

Kima got up from her place on the floor and moved to leave, but stopped as her hand rested on the door handle. Uncertain as to the reason of her concern, she hesitantly voiced her question.

"My lord?" she asked, hoping again that she was not inciting his wrath.

Irritated, Saffron spat, "What?"

Kima had spent lengthy amounts of time considering the welfare and life of the girl whose form she still took when splashed with cold water. Despite the creation of the pool being her fault in the first place it was difficult not to find some sympathy with the person whose body you matched from time to time. "How do you intend to use the girl?" Kima glanced over her shoulder to see a disturbing grin spread across her king's face.

"You will see Kima, when the time comes. Now GO!" he said and she did so, not wishing to further risk invoking his fury.

Saffron was now alone, seated on a throne which looked a touch too big for him. He seethed as he considered his hated foe and what he had in store for him. "Such a pity... a pity that she will be the one to suffer for your wrongs… Ranma Saotome" he said, the maniacal grin again twiching at his lips. "Soon, Saotome… you will suffer as you have never imagined possible." Evil sounding laughter bellowed from his throat, echoing far down the corridors and causing many of his subjects to shudder anew at their sovereign.

**Later**

"Ranma I told you to bring an umbrella!" Akane shouted as she and Ranma trudged home in the downpour. Ranma responded with a dour look.

"So**rry **" he -make that she- said bitterly.

Akane just sighed in reply and the two resumed their wet plodding.

**][**

"We're home!" called out Akane and Ranma.

Hearing the couple enter, Kasumi came to the door to greet them. She was shocked when she saw the two sodden, dripping teens. She raised her hands to her mouth in alarm. "Oh my, I thought you had taken the umbrella with you this morning!"

"Yeah, so did I." Akane said with a sidelong glare at Ranma.

Akane went immediately to bathe, in an effort to keep from catching a cold. After warming her body she crept downstairs, trying to avoid Ranma. She did not encounter him as she moved to the kitchen and asked Kasumi to make her some food. After a brief but filling repast, Akane decided to call it a day. But it seemed that the night was not going to be kind to her, for shortly after her head hit the pillow, the nightmares returned. She'd been exhausted lately, kept awake by vicious nightmares that she could not explain.

She hadn't been subjected to them as often as Ranma, but they had been taking their nightly toll on her. Most of the nightmares had a similar storyline: She would be forced to do something she would never wish to, in order to save others. However, she would always fail at her forced task, and in the best case scenario her mistake would kill her. If she lived, she was always forced to watch her family die. Daddy, Kasumi, Nabiki – even Mr. and Mrs. Saotome whom had become so close that she thought of them as family.

None of them were as bad as having to watch Ranma die. He never went down quietly, but every time he always turned to her at the last moment, a look of pained acceptance on his face that rent her heart every time she saw it.

She pondered her nightmares daily, but still did not know why she was having these disturbing dreams. She could feel deep down that it was no coincidence, however, and felt that perhaps it was more of a warning. She couldn't bring herself to discuss any of them with anyone though. There was enough insanity in Nerima already without her adding her share to it.

But tonight's dream was different. A voice she did not know too well, but still seemed hauntingly familiar, spoke to her quietly, as if from very close.

"Tendo, Tendo, Tendo. I will come for you, you sweet innocent feeble fool. You should have let him die, but now… now you will suffer for him. Isn't that what you wanted? Then suffer you shall! Say goodbye, say goodnight, or let them die..."

The voice grew harsh near the end, but when he had finished, it truly was terrifying. Akane felt like everyone she had ever known cried out to her, at the exact same time, with the most prominent and pained voice easily identifiable as Ranma's.

With a soft shout, Akane leapt out from under her covers, hands still reaching for the people whose voices still echoed in her ears. According to her clock, it was some time until the sun was due to come up, but she knew from the way her hands shook and her heart raced that trying to get back to sleep was a futile idea. She didn't want to just lie in bed however, and didn't want to wake anyone trying to do something else, so Akane quietly made her way to the dojo, hoping that some basic kata practice would help to clear her mind of the thoughts that plagued her.

She wasn't there long before the door slid open and Ranma crept in, silently closing the door behind him.

"Ranma?" she asked before he'd even turned around.

"Akane? What are you doing up so early?" he asked.

"Nothing really." she shook her head.

Ranma saw she was trying to hide something, elusive as her answer had been.

"Nothing?" he asked her, putting strong emphasis on the question so that she'd know that he was aware something was up.

She looked up at him for a moment, then sighed deeply and mumbled, "It was just a dream."

"What kind of dream?" he asked, plopping to a seat next to her. He would be the last one to have trouble understanding her if she'd been awakened by nightmares and had sought out a refuge against the awful images that sleep brought.

Her face took on a gloomy expression as she looked at the floor.

"I don't... really know..." she said in a voice more timid than Ranma could ever recall hearing come out of her.

Her body trembled for a moment, but Akane forced herself to stop, hoping that Ranma hadn't noticed. She knew she'd failed as his face took a concerned expression. She looked up at him and tried her best to give a reassuring smile.

It helped for a moment until Ranma realized it was a facade and his mouth pulled into a deep frown. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but he did not know what was going on himself, and was wondering if she was having the same kinds of dreams he had been having.

"Are you all right?" he asked her as she returned her gaze to the floor in front of her.

She hesitated for a full minute, eyes darting from corner to corner in the dark dojo as she contemplated her answer.

"I don't know." she finally admitted.

*OO*

"Kima!" The summons were shouted across the dark recesses of the Phoenix castle.

Soon the bird woman came, breathless as she'd hurried as fast as she'd been able. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to regain control over her labored breathing.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Go, and get the Gekkaja." he commanded.

"Yes my lord, but please might I know your plans?" she asked as she got up. "I ask only so as to better serve you."

Saffron merely grinned and said, "I think it's time to get the Tendo girl."

Kima 's Eyes widened a bit but then she smiled. "Shall I come with you my lord?" Perhaps she could prove her worth better in whatever endeavors her liege would encounter during the trip. She certainly felt that she'd been nothing but a disappointment to him lately and as she'd already captured the Tendo girl once...

"No Kima, I won't be going there in person. I will invade her mind, and by using her own ki and fear to make me come before her, then I can come and leave at anytime." he said.

"I understand, lord." Kima kept her voice very neutral to hide her disappointment. Without another word, she left to do her king's bidding.

Akane was not forthcoming with any further information about her dreams. Ranma felt more and more frustrated as the minutes ticked by. What was worse, now he found himself trying to imagine what kind of nightmares she was having in addition to considering his own. It was all getting to be too much for a teenaged martial artist.

Akane looked over to see Ranma's face radiating worry and concern. She tried to smile at him, but could not mask the worry and hurt in her eyes. Finally, Akane decided that she'd had enough of sitting there silently, and returned to her bed. When they returned, the dreams were worse than they'd ever been, and no matter how hard she tried to wake, it did not work.

The voice came again.

"Akane … Tendo …" it said to her, softly and drawn out.

"Who Are you?" Akane asked. She was standing in the middle of her room, in her PJ's.

"Akane .. Tendo …" it said again, mockingly.

She took a step back, and suddenly she was falling. There was a splashing sound and she felt wetness surround her legs. She was in Darkness, but could tell that there was water where she stood. She was now clad in a black cloak, ripped and burned to the point of being nothing more than an old rag, unable to provide even a tiny bit of comfort. And comfort she needed, for at that very moment, pain wracked her body. She felt as though she'd been fighting for weeks without any rest. She was bleeding heavily from a multitude of wounds scattered about her body. Looking down at herself, Akane noted an exceptionally horrific wound in her abdomen, as though she'd been stabbed brutally from the front.

"Akane Tendo..." the voice said, louder then last time but still untraceable.

"W-who are you? Damn it, show yourself!" she cried as she tried to take a step, but the from her wounds shot through her body anew and she tripped. She was now on her hands and knees, barely keeping her head above the water. Her chest felt like it was about to explode, as though someone had kicked the wind out of her.

"Akane..." The voice came again. It echoed almost like a song, but felt harsh and bitter, as though it burned with a hidden anger.

Another voice came to her then, dark and quiet. It hurt her to struggle to remain conscious, but she recognized the voice and refused to give in.

"Akane!" yelled the other voice, countering the first.

"Ranma!" she asked , but felt that she was sinking slowly into the water, her feeble limbs finally giving in and unable to muster the strength to keep her up. "Ranma! H-help!" she plead, desperately hoping that he'd make it in time.

"Akane… Tendo..." Again the voice she knew only from her dreams sounded, by it's intonation making her feel as though it was taking posession of her.

"Damn it!" screamed Akane, "Who are you?" she asked, but by then only her head remained above the water.

"Help!" she shouted once more before the water took her, dark and cold. It tore the breath from her throat and sapped her of what little strength she had left. She couldn't breathe, but still she heard the voice and it's cruel laughter.

"There is no one to help you, Akane Tendo." The voice was louder now, and seemed completely unaffected by the water that was pressing in at Akane from all sides.

*Tak tak!*

'Ranma! Help me Please!' she begged, her body unable to even form the words with her mouth.

*Katak*

"He can't hear you, only I," the voice said, now seeming to be right behind her, it's tone unnaturally smooth and predatory.

*Tinkle*

"Now .. "

'What is that noise?' Akane's tired mind could barely register what was going on. She felt completely consumed by terror and a screaming need for air.

"I shall come!" the voice nearly yelled, enveloping her in a cacophony of sound and malevolent battle aura the likes of which Akane had never experienced.

Scattered about, she saw her family dead, but as if in pictures it went by so fast, each only recieving a scant moment to register in her mind the horrible sight before her. Lastly, Ranma's face, pallid in death sat before her, eyes empty of the brilliant life energy that was uniquely him. His body was broken almost beyond recognition, but Akane knew in her heart that his death was because of her. Her insides lurched as she tore her gaze from his shattered form.

"No!" she screamed.

*Tak Takle*

"No!" Akane yelled as she sat up in bed, the covers falling from her. She stopped, glancing around her room as if terrified that the walls themselves were about to close in on her. Her heart beat furiously, as though a hummingbird had flown into her chest and was desperately seeking an exit. Her mouth tasted of bile, reminding her of the last vision she'd been subjected to by her jarring nightmare.

"Another dream..?" she asked, staring at her trembling hands.

But that sound - *Tak tak* - persisted, sounding again as Akane whirled in her bed to face it. It was coming from her window.

It was now day -she could see it even though her window was blocked by the curtain. Despite a growing sense of dread, she got up and walked over to it. The sound kept getting louder as she got closer to the window. With a deep breath she pulled back the curtain.

Her heart almost stopped at the sight before her.

"Oh my god..." she gasped before her world exploded.

It was breakfast time in the Tendo household, and everyone (everyone except akane) was eating. They were going to wake her, but Ranma told them that she was up late and so she should get more sleep. This evoked quite an interesting look from Nabiki, but just as she was opening her mouth to make a snide comment about Ranma keeping her baby sister up late a blood-curdling scream came from Akane's room.

Most would have thought that it was because of Happosai or something, but this, this was much different; this was a cry for help.

Ranma leapt from his position so fast that the other family members barely had time to register that anything was amiss before he was already bounding up the stairs. Ranma lost no time in getting to Akane, tearing her bedroom door open so hard that one of the hinges broke due to the strain, and you could make out distinct finger impressions on the door handle. The scene that met him as he took stock in his surroundings was frightening.

Akane's bed was flipped on it's side, her window was shattered, shards of glass were everywhere. One of her curtains was on fire, the other was cut in half. Her dresser had been overturned, spilling its Distictive feathers littered the floor in an alarming pattern that led straight to the only person currently in the room besides himself. Akane huddled in a defensive position in the corner, arms crossed in front of her face as if to protect it from an attack, but there was nobody else in the room. Her arms, legs, face- her whole body, really- all were covered in so many cuts that it would be impossible to count them all.

Ranma rushed to her and called out her name as he knelt before her, but if she heard him there was no reaction whatsoever. She was shaking so badly that the blood on her arms almost jumped off. She was staring at her floor with a blank expression on her face that convinced Ranma that she was in such a state of shock that she was lost to the real world. He reached out and forced her arms down so that he could look her in the face.

The contact with him seemed to bring her out of whatever state she had been in, and she lifted her eyes to meet his. They were filled with unbridled terror.

"R-Ranma..." she whispered so lightly that he had doubts that she had said anything at all.

"Akane, who did this? Are you Alright?" he demanded, ready to tear whoever it was limb from limb.

"H-he... Ranma... I - Sa…" but before she could say anything helpful she fainted into his arms, smearing blood all over the two of them and ruining thier clothes. Ranma didn't care.

Ranma, in shock, took her into his arms. He had never seen her so terrified, so hurt, so weak. "What the hell happened?"

He looked over his shoulder and saw that the whole family was there, shocked by the violent scene before them. Kasumi looked really scared and confused, the only time Ranma could recall seeing anything resembling real emotion in her. Nabiki looked shocked, and for once Ranma couldn't see her trying to figure out how to make a profit on this turn of events. Mr. Tendo, not unexpectedly, was threatening to flood the hallway with his tears. His father was staring wide-eyed as he took in the sight.

Suddenly, Nabiki whipped her head around to face her father.

"Daddy! What are you waiting for? Go call Dr. Tofu!" As he ran to do so, Nabiki turned her attentions to Kasumi. "Kasumi , go and get the first-aid Kit," she asked.

Mutely, Kasumi rose and did as she was told.

"Ranma! Get up Already and take her to your room!" Nabiki demanded. Ranma found himself unconciously following her orders. As gently as he could, he gathered Akane's badly lacerated form up in his arms, careful to avoid damaging her any further, carried her as fast as he dared to his bed and laid her just as gently into it, uncaring that her blood instantly soaked into his bedding.

Kasumi came in with the first aid kit, but then stood there, so shocked by the sheer number of injuries that she couldn't even begin to consider where to start. As she began to unwrap a bandage, Nabiki's voice floated up from downstairs.

"Kasumi! Come here please!"

Ranma was angry that Nabiki would call Kasumi away from such an important task, then realized that if Kasumi were around when Dr. Tofu showed up, Akane would surely be lost to them forever. He figured that Nabiki must have come to the same conclusion and silently thanked her for dealing with the situation before it came up. With Akane's injuries as bad as they were, they might not have any room for mistakes like that.

Ranma looked down at Akane, blood freezing in his veins as he realized just how closely her wounds matched those that she'd suffered in his nightmares.

*^*Writer : Oooh Sorry to stop it there , but me so Sleepily, and you so on a Cliffhanger Haha! (Just kidding)

Anyway , hope you don't kill me with Flames, or because I ended it here, and if ya do kill me then I can't do the rest ,

Okay again , hit the button that reads 'review' you never know, it may have a cherry! Wait Cherry? .. Ah you can have it, (don't like them much, they are some what sour)

Beta Reader: Can I trade the cherry for a cookie? I like cookies a lot more.

Writer : XD yes you may ^^ *give you a cookie*


	3. Chapter 3 Confusion,

_Nightmare's Become Reality _

_Writer : okay , so there was not cherry, but hay , we all make mistakes, Right? _

_Anyway hope you like this part ^^Oh!_

_And I Have to say Thank you all sooooooo MUCH! For all the wonderful and sweet comments, you guys and my amzeing Bata reader are what keep this story alive~! , and also , please, do thank my wonderful Bata reader _

_FrictionX42__he is GREAT! And he has truly made this story so much better! Thank you so much! Without you I wouldn't be here probably ha-ha XD_

_Oh and Thank you Akane for not hurting Ranma too bad =)_

_Akane : my pleasure ,_

_Ranma : Yeah mine too, I did not even go flying to far , =D_

_Akane : Yeah whatever lets get to the story , _

_Please don't sue this writer she is a good girl_

_Writer: Yeah! Yeah! Me good, =)_

_Okay and Thanks go to _

_V_

_ RanmaLove and my wonderful Bata reader __FrictionX42____they are sweet nice and supportive , TAHSNK YOU ALL!_

__*{+}*{+}*{+}*{+}*** {+}*{+}*{+}*{+}*__

Dr. Tofu got there as soon as he could. As soon as he saw the extent of the damage, he asked for some privacy so that he could note the full extent of the damage and try to do his best to fix it.

Everyone but Ranma waited in the dining room, discussing the events and trying to determine who could have been responsible or why. Nodoka joined them soon after Doctor Tofu's arrival, having been alerted as well. She joined the discussion at the table. Ranma refused to go any farther than the hallway, pacing back and forth in front of the door- too worried to sit, too afraid to stay still. About three hours later, Dr. Tofu emerged from his room, face slightly pale, and body weary with the exhaustion of having to keep the entirety of one's attention on one thing, unwavering in control for extended periods of time.

The doctor closed the door behind him and sighed. 'That was really close.' Dr. Tofu thought to himself, then opened his eyes to find Ranma standing right in front of him, face screwed into a mass of concern and worry. Dr. Tofu tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it didn't come out quite right. Ranma saw that he looked troubled.

"How is she? Is she okay?" Ranma asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Dr. Tofu looked him in the eyes, then said, "It did not look good Ranma. some of her ribs were broken, she had numerous burns and bruises, her feet had a lot of burns as well, her shoulder... It had what look like bird's claw marks, that were very deep." he intoned, with a grim look on his face.

Ranma froze, "I-is she -" He was so choked up with worry that he was unable to finish his question.

"Okay?" Tofu concluded for him. "Yes... She will be okay, but she has to take it easy, and no fighting quite some time." he said, to Ranma 's relief.

"But Ranma," Tofu asked, curious.

"Yeah..?"

"What did this to Akane?"

Ranma paused. He had an idea of who it may have been but did not want to utter it, as all he had to go on was the nightmares that had been plaguing him.

"I.. I don't know..." he said lamely.

"Well , whoever it was is very powerful." Tofu said, concern evident again in his face.

"What do you mean, doc?" Ranma asked.

"Because," Tofu said, his eyes darkening as he began, "He was able to attack her ki itself..."

Ranma froze again. None of the opponents he'd faced before would try such a dangerous attack. That was not an attack to be made lightly. Whoever it was had been out for blood, and they'd almost gotten it.

"Akane almost did not- she almost did not make it Ranma." Dr. Tofu said quietly.

Ranma's mind became a flood of panicked thoughts. 'She almost died? No, no no, that's not suppose to happen again! Not again! Not ever!' And yet it did, and he was not even there! What if she died? There would not be any way of saving her then...

Thoughts raced in his head, but stopped when Dr. Tofu began to walk to the stairs to inform the rest of the family. The doctor paused on the top step, however, and called back to Ranma one final thought.

"Ranma," he said.

Ranma looked up to meet Tofu's gaze as the doctor continued.

"Keep an eye on her, because I don't think whoever did this just came to do half the job, I think he wants something, something like revenge. And when it's revenge, it is hard to stop halfway." he said and began to walk again.

Ranma's head again became a whirlwind of thoughts. 'Revenge? On Akane? But she has not done anything to anyone! Why would someone that powerful want revenge on her?' Then a possibility dawned on him, and he murmured aloud, "Then are they trying to get revenge on Akane, or are they getting revenge on me..."

His thoughts were interrupted as the sounds of someone ascending the stairs came to him. He looked over to see his mother crest the rise.

"Ranma?" she asked, worry very evident in her face.

He looked at her and tried to smile.

"Is Akane is all right?"

"Yeah. She should be, as long as she does not get into any fights."

"Well, then keep an eye on her while we are gone." Nodoka said gently, touching his shoulder to comfort him.

"Wait, gone? Where are you going?"

"We are going out to try and find who it was who did this to Poor Akane. You stay here and keep watch over her." The tone of her voice allowed no compromise.

Soon, after much well-wishing and more than a few tears shed by the Tendo patriarch, they all went- and Ranma was left all alone in the house with Akane.

He went to his door and took a deep breath. He was worried about seeing how she was doing. Most of the time when people are hurt they don't look their best, and he knew it would hurt to see Akane like that. The first time had made him ready to kill. To see her fluttering on death's door again… He winced as he considered the options. Still, he knew that he wasn't going to be any use standing in the hallway outside of his door if the attacker came for her again.

Steeling himself, Ranma then opened the door. He saw just what he was dreading- Akane was deathly pale, her eyes of honey were closed, her chest, hands, and feet were wrapped in bandages, and she had so many other cuts that it looked like doctor Tofu had run out of band-aids halfway through. On closer inspection, he saw what Tofu was talking about; her right shoulder was wrapped in bandages, but he could see the dim outline of blood already beginning to soak through.

Ranma stood there, frozen to the spot. He had never seen her in such bad shape. He'd always been around to protect her before, and his failure to do so this time rankled him worse than anything he'd ever experienced. A sick feeling settled in his gut, causing him no end of discomfort, and Ranma wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive him.

A cold wind fluttered its way into the room, and Ranma shuddered, then walked over to Akane and sat down at her side. He watched her to make sure he didn't miss a single breath. She'd almost died on him TWICE now, and he was beginning to have doubts about whether it was healthy for them to be together. He had enough to worry about just trying to keep her alive when it came to his other fiancees, for crying out loud!

Akane shivered slightly in the frigid wind, goosebumps covering what little flesh the bandages didn't. As his blankets were in the wash, Ranma took his shirt off and draped it across her. She stopped shivering and Ranma imagined that he could barely make out a slight smile creep onto her lips. The cold settled into him, now that he was clad in just a tank top and pants, but he was beyond worrying about himself.

Worry was upon him again, what if he was too late -again? He would never be able to see her beautiful face again, never lock eyes with her auburn ones meeting with his blue. He'd never see her smile again. The thought hurt him- then his thoughts moved on to other things. How did he become so weak? All his life there was no help, no girls to get in the way, no one who really did care, no one to care for. He was so use to being alone. His father didn't exactly fit the bill of decent traveling companion -barely rated the title of father, in fact- all Genma ever did was train him and eat his food until Ranma became strong enough to fight him off.

But once he'd met Akane, he'd found someone he actually liked to spend time with. He did not want to lose her as a friend, he did not want to be alone again, he did not want to lose her, lose Akane, his fiancée. All of his other fiancées just wanted him for honor or as a prize, but Akane... She cared enough to butt in to his business, to fight with him over silly stuff that they forget the next day, and he cared about her. He'd sworn that he was never going to let her be hurt, but look at today! Here she is, hurt- and hurt badly.

Then the look he saw on her just before she passed out came to mind. No, she was just not going to get hurt again, he'd let his guard down, but never again! Now it was his mission in life to take care of her! Without knowing it Ranma had taken her hand in his, and he stared at it for a moment, knowing that only a few hours ago he'd have viciously argued anyone who dared suggest that he might do such a thing. Let them dare now- he would never deny it again!

Her small delicate hand, whenever he felt her hand in his- even if it was an accident, or for just a fleeting moment- he would feel like he could take another day, he could fight the fights he needed to, to win, to save her, to make her smile. Such a small thing, such a sweet little hand, that made everything okay.

He was almost at ease when he heard someone at the door.

"Aiya! Is no one home?" Shampoo's voice rang out in its lilting soprano pidgin. Ranma rolled his eyes. 'Just great, that's just what we need.'

Ranma was just going to hide in his room but then he realized that sooner or later, Shampoo would tire of waiting and she would come to find him. Or worse- she might try to slip into his bed to surprise him again. Ranma had no doubt that if Shampoo found out about Akane's damaged condition, she would do her best to finish the job. Sighing deeply, Ranma relinquished hold of Akane's hand and got up and went to the living room to try and draw the Amazon's attention away from his charge. Akane needed to avoid trouble right now.

Unfortunately, Akane's troubles were only beginnning.

{*}

Laughter brought Akane back from the dark void that had encompasssed her entire being since the attack. She opened her eyes, but saw nothing. She could see only herself, and could barely even feel the covers that someone had thoughtfully placed around her. The laughter sounded again.

"W-what? Where am I? she asked as she tried to sit up but stopped as pain shot through her body, "I... where am I? I was- I was fighting... Then Ranma came and I..."

The laughter cut her off and a cold voice called to her, "So, Tendo... what do you think of my power?"

"Who's there?" Akane asked, trying to look but the darkness enveloping her made seeing anything impossible.

"Are you sure you want to know whom I am? What if I am the one who kills you? What if I am the one who almost did kill you? Have you realized who I am yet? Or maybe you know me as the one who will kill everyone and everything that you love…" the voice mocked and teased Akane as it spoke from the black void surrounding her.

Akane was frozen as the last few words chilled her, drawing shivers up and down her spine. "What?" She managed to whisper, then the omnipresent shade around her began to slowly become mixed with red swirls, as if bleeding into liquid. "What the?" She struggled against the pain blazing across her body, against the searing agony in her side that felt as though someone had skewered her with a red-hot poker. Finally, she managed to climb out of her bed and her bedroom began to take some semblance of visibility.

There was still a ball of inky black tinged with red hovering in the center of her room, however, and the sight of it made her gasp. As she watched, the orb grew and grew, taking up almost all of the space in her room. She did her best to avoid touching it, not knowing what would happen if she came into contact with such an obviously evil thing. Almost as quickly as it had appeared, it began to fade, leaving the sillohuette of a figure inside. It looked human, but with wings on its back. She began to make out more details as the orb continued to dissapear.

"What are you-?" Akane began to ask, then was too shocked to continue as she finally realized who was standing before her: Saffron, emperor of the phoenix people and the man who had almost killed her only a short time ago. Akane felt her insides clench and her knees almost gave out on her, but she steadfastly determined to stand her ground. "You..." She breathed, unable to fathom how the prince had managed to track her down here, not to mention his entrance! His presence shattered her confidence, yet somehow she managed to gather her body into a ready stance and challenge him. "You monster! Are you here to hurt Ranma?" she demanded as fiercely as her terrified voice could muster.

Saffron's laughter only became stronger as he said, "No... No girl, I'm not here for Ranma- I came for you."

Akane 's fists fell as she tried to understand. "What?.. " she asked, not entirely certain that she wanted to hear what he had to say. Still, if it could buy some time for Ranma or someone to return...

Saffron's reply caused the shivers of fear already quaking inside Akane to intensify. "You see, I want you to work for me… for you to do as commanded." he said, leering at her obvious fear, savoring the terror he was so obviously evoking within her.

"What the hell makes you think I would ever do anything for you!" she spat in anger, her rage providing what little control she could still claim to have.

He smirked, "If you don't take me up on my generous offer... let me just say that those dreams you had will become reality…" he lifted his hand and then the world shifted.

Akane saw her father laying on the floor in the Tendo Dojo, his eyes open but empty of life, laying in a pool of blood along with Mr. Saotome. "Noo! Daddy!" screamed Akane, tears burning her eyes, but when she took a step to reach out to them she found herself suddenly in the kitchen, confronted with the splayed body of her eldest sister. Kasumi was laying face down on the floor. Akane gingerly approached her, hand outstretched. "S-Sis..? K-Kasumi?" she asked, kneeling down. Mentally steeling herself for what she feared she was about to see, Akane turned her sister over to see Kasumi 's favorite cutting knife, handle-deep in her chest, point deep in her heart. "K-KASUMI!" cried Akane, she pulled her sister up to her in a hug, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she was now at Nabiki 's room. "N-Nabiki?" Akane asked. Nabiki was laying on her desk, as she would do on occasion when deeply involved in whatever plot she was coming up with. Akane walked over and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "S-Sis..?" she queried, then she pulled Nabiki's shoulder, forcing her to sit up. Nabiki's head didn't stop in the upright position, instead proceeding farther back than Akane had thought possible. Then she realized why: Nabiki 's neck was cut open and her head lolled to the side, her eyes staring eerily empty at Akane. Akane's mouth opened and she screamed as she swiftly vacated the room and ran down the stairs to the family room. Once she stopped, she noted that Mrs. Saotome was there, sleeping soundly on the table. "M-Mrs. Saotome? What are you doing here?" she asked, then noticed something strange: The Saotome matriarch's sword was missing. Nodoka ALWAYS carried that sword. Akane then knelt down beside her, and was about to try and wake her, but then saw where the sword went. It was embedded deep inside Mrs. Saotome's abdomen, as though she had used it to commit Seppuku, but had stopped halfway through and nobody had been there to be her second. Nodoka's face was frozen in a grimace of agony. Akane's eyes went wide, "No! Ms. Saotome!" she called out, already knowing that her mother-in-law to be was beyond hearing.

Just as suddenly as any of the other changes, she was outside on the roof. She looked around her, her gaze quickly falling on two figures standing very close together, in a fighting clinch. Saffron and Ranma glared at each other from a very close distance, Saffron's icy demeanor and eerie calm a sharp contrast to Ranma's flushed face, Ragged breathing and sweat-drenched body. Akane felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw them. They didn't seem to be moving much, which struck Akane as odd. Normally Ranma's fights were all over the place, moving from place to place with reckless abandon. Saffron's lips parted in a predatory grin as he took a step back, pulling out of Ranma's reach. Akane now saw why Ranma was not moving. As Saffron pulled away, he withdrew a vicious-looking blade from Ranma's chest, bringing with it a fountain of blood and chunks of flesh. Akane's blood froze in her veins, and she knew with absolute certainty that it was over. Saffron looked directly at her, locking eyes for only a scant moment, then grinned evilly before kicking Ranma's body off of the rooftop.

"NOO!" Akane screamed as her body moved of its own accord. She jumped off the roof and ran to him, barely not making it in time as his body crashed into the hard ground. She gathered him in her arms, tears clouding her vision as sobs wracked her body. Her throat felt tight, as though Saffron's fist was clenched around it, and she labored to breathe as she looked at Ranma's face, desperate to find any sign that he might still be alive. Somehow, his lips parted, and she heard him whisper.

"Akane…" Ranma's voice was barely audible. His face was pale and drawn, and Akane watched as he labored furiously to force words out of his pierced chest.

"Ranma! It's all right- I'm here now! You're going to be okay!"

"It's... gettin' real... dark… and quiet… It's so... cold." Ranma croaked, barely able to mouth the words through lips tinged with his own blood. His eyes began to fall shut.

"Ranma! D-don't close your eyes!" Akane begged, becoming even more hysterical than she already was.

"Sorry... 'Kane…" he whispered just as his eyes closed for what Akane knew deep within her was the last time.

"N-no... w-wake up, Ranma… Wake up you dummy! GET UP!" she pleaded, tears cascading down her cheeks. "NOO! RANMA!" She cried as he began to get cold and his breath stopped.

"No! Don't!" Akane said as she fell on her knees, breathing hard. She was back in her room, Saffron standing over her, with one hand outstreched towards her, as if beckoning her to come to him. His face was as cold and hard as she could remember, lacking in pity of any kind and promising only eternal pain and torment for any who stood in his way. Akane's flagging willpower finally came to an end and her shoulders sagged. "Please don't kill them." She whispered.

"Do as I say and I will not kill them... Disobey, and not only will I kill them but I will make you watch as I cause them insufferable pain until they beg for me to end it, along with their pitiful lives." Saffron said, approaching Akane slowly.

She growled, "Why me? I am not good at anything!" she said looking up, "All of Ranma's other fiancees are better than me at everything! They can all cook, and fight, and-"

Saffron pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her protests. "Perhaps not now, girl… but in a few years you could be even better than that Saotome boy."

"B-be better than Ranma? At fighting?" the thought made her feel good for a moment, but ever since Ranma's arrival, she'd felt protected and slowly had begun to lose her drive to become a powerful martial artist. Especially since almost everyone she knew who was very powerful was also stark raving mad. She turned back to Saffron and spluttered, "B-but I don't want to be! And why not take someone else? Why do you need me to work for you?"

"I want you to, and that's all I will say about it. To put it another way: Sorry to be so blunt, but you have no choice in the matter- do as I say, or they die. Easy enough to understand." Saffron's eyes narrowed. He didn't like having to explain his decisions to an underling.

Akane closed her eyes, "But why me?" she asked, knowing the moment she agreed to his 'offer', that she would be sentencing herself to a lifetime of hell, working for someone that tried to kill the man she loved, and might be still trying to cause him pain. This bizarre situation had come so suddenly, and she had no clue as to what Saffron might want from her, or if she would ever come back to her home. No matter what, though, she would do as she was told, for if she did not her family would- would... She couldn't bear the thought. "Saffron, seeing as I don't have any other choice in it, I agree to become your servant." she agreed, sighing as she shackled herself to his will.

His grin grew wider, and he said, "Good, I was not in the mood to waste my time killing everyone tonight. They're not important."

'He's saying that my family is nothing more than dirt,' Akane thought to herself. 'That JERK!' Akane then snapped, "Damn you..." she whispered in anger, getting ready to fight even though she was hopelessly outmatched. Even if she'd been in the peak of health, Akane knew that there was nothing she could have done against the Phoenix monarch. In her battered state, she was as good as dead already.

Saffron stopped her advance as he raised one finger at her. "Better think before you say something fool. You are mine now, and I can do as I wish with you, such as THIS!"

In a blink of an eye, the bandages that were on Akane's shoulder ripped open as more gashes appeared on her upper arm, new rivulets of bright red blood tracing down the tattered remains of her dressings. "Agh!" she shouted in pain as she raised her fist, still willing to put up as much of a fight as she could. But she was stopped by seeing images of her family being brutally killed again. She stopped immediately.

Saffron growled at her, "Remember that if you try anything then I will kill them."

Akane shook in anger, sadness, and regret. There were many things she still wanted to do- things she wanted to say. Now she knew she will never be able to do any of them, never feel how she wanted to feel, never again have the freedom to live her own life. Tears threatened to erupt from her eyes, but she screwed them shut so that she wouldn't show any weakness to the man who meant to destroy her entire life. She closed her eyes and fell to the floor.

"Now, go to the forest. When you arrive, there will be a portal and Kima will be there. You will go with her, and do as asked. Disobey, and you know what will happen."

~*Meanwhile*~

Ranma made another dodge, but barely. Shampoo had been at this for nearly forty minutes now, and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Despite his protests, she was still trying to glomp onto him, to get him to hug or kiss her or something. It was that _something_ that had Ranma particularly worried. She was certainly the most forward of his fiancees, holding nothing back when trying to seduce him. While he was certain that with any other boy his age that would have made for a swift victory, Ranma was not just any other boy.

"Airen no run no more; come date with Shampoo, yes?" her pidgin Japanese had been the source of much of her success, Ranma knew. Many of her opponents had been tricked into thinking Shampoo was much less mentally astute than she really was. Ranma knew the truth- she was devious in such a way that you never suspected anything until it was too late. Even then, sometimes, you didn't suspect anything.

"I ain't in the mood ta date anybody right now, Shampoo! 'Sides, ain't you got orders to deliver or somethin'?" Ranma was desperately trying anything he could think of to keep Shampoo from the Tendo house. While it would accomplish what he was after, he didn't particularly want to date her either, since that would mean more time away from Akane's side. He needed to come up with a plan, and needed to do it soon...

Akane shot up. The covers flew off of her as she leapt to her feet. She instantly regretted it as the pain from her injuries returned. She hurt everywhere- her legs, her arms, her feet. Her side throbbed especially badly. Overall, the pain was worse than she'd remembered. Still, she was ready to consider everything she'd just gone through with Saffron as just another nightmare until she took a look at her arm. It was blooding profusely from brand new cuts- cuts that went clean through her bandages. That meant that her 'dream' had been real. She could almost make out Saffron's arrogant laughter mocking her as she realized what that really meant. It meant that she needed to get to the forest. Somehow, despite exceedingly vague directions, Akane discovered that she knew exactly where she needed to go.

These realizations snapped her out of her shock, and she noted numbly that she was in Ranma's room. "Why am I in Ranma's room?" She mused idly, then caught a whiff of his scent. It was coming from the shirt she was wearing- his shirt, she was wearing his shirt! Why was she wearing his shirt? No time to wonder about that, she was just thankful that she was going to be able to take something of his with her, something to remember him by. Her eyes began to burn as tears came anew. She'd never be able to tell him how she felt about him now, it was too late. She'd have given anything in that moment for the chance, but Ranma was nowhere to be seen. She wouldn't get another chance, she had to get going immediately. If she didn't leave, then her family... She didn't even want to consider it. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing their lifeless bodies for real- it had been bad enough in her nightmares. She struggled to pull Ranma's shirt over her torso, the pain of her movement making her gasp. She didn't care, she wanted his shirt so that if she never came back... She put that thought to the back of her mind and made her way to the big circular window in Ranma's room, every step an agony from the myriad of lacerations she'd recieved from stepping on the broken glass from her window just after Saffron's initial attack on her. She grunted as she pulled herself up to the windowsill. She hesitated for a moment, hoping that Ranma would choose that moment to open the door and stop her. Then she relived the scene of Ranma's bloody death, as Saffron pulled the sword from Ranma's chest and she held him as he breathed his last. She gulped as reality came back to her, a wave of nausea making bile rise to her mouth. She renewed her vow that she would do anything to keep him and her family safe. It's what he would do, given the chance. Without another thought, she pushed off of the windowsill, landing awkwardly on the ground below. The pain lanced through her feet, but she grunted and did her best to ignore the pain as she began to run, tears mixing freely with the heavy downpour.

"No Shampoo!" yelled Ranma as he ran around the table to get away from Shampoo. She anticipated his move, however, and sprang to intercept him in midair, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug- A technique that nobody had managed to escape from in over two-thousand years of Chinese Amazon tradition. The only escape was to have an ally strike you from outside the maneuver. It irked her that Akane had figured that out so quickly. No matter; Shampoo was going to win Ranma, she just needed to keep trying her hardest. She renewed her grip with a smile as Ranma struggled to get free.

"Augh! Shampoo, get offa me!" Said Ranma,

"Airen no want kiss Shampoo?" she asked, trying to be cute. She was doing a darned good job of it, too. No male aside from Ranma had ever resisted her when she wanted something. Ranma's alternate form gave him a great deal of protection against her wiles, and Shampoo thought (not for the first time) that if only Jusenkyo had never existed, then all of their lives would have been so much easier.

She had no idea how right she was, of course, what with the Jusenkyo water being at the heart of most of the turmoil in all of their lives. That fact didn't make Ranma any more interested in kissing her right this moment, however.

Ranma blushed but said , "No! I D-" then cut off his protest as an idea came to mind. He needed to keep Shampoo busy for a while so he could go check on Akane. And he could only do that if Shampoo wasn't looking for him. With a quick grin he sprang his trap. "Sure, but close your eyes. I'm gonna surprise you by waiting until you least expect it, so keep 'em shut. Got it?" he said and Shampoo gasped with delight as she nodded her approval. She jumped off of him and dutifully closed her eyes. Almost as if the universe itself was waiting for the passionate act between the two, the rain came to a strange halt as though

Ranma noted the rain stopping, and wondered for a moment if it was some kind of strange omen. He shook his head and determined that if it was he didn't care, then silently invoked a maneuver that he'd sworn never to use again. He felt that the situation was important enough, however, especially as he wasn't going to use it for its intended purpose. He dropped into the Umisenken, swiftly erasing all presence of himself so that Shampoo wouldn't notice his departure.

Shampoo suddenly couldn't detect Ranma at all! She shivered in delight, knowing that any moment now, Ranma was going to be pressing his lips against hers, finally taking that which she promised freely, deciding on her once and for all. She exulted in the thought of telling her Great-Grandmother how she had finally won him, just as soon as she played this waiting game with him. She was an Amazon warrior, after all, and patience was one of the most important tools in her arsenal. She could wait all night if she had to, just to feel the brush of Ranma's lips against her own. Her heart began beating loudly in her ears and her breathing quickened as she thought of Ranma finally kissing her. Once or twice she thought she could feel him moving in, and her lips puckered up in anticipation.

Ranma slowly and quietly got up and went to his room. He opened the door and was shock to see Akane no longer there! "Akane?" he asked as he walked to the bed that she had occupied last time he'd been in the room. The first thought was 'Oh my God, she saw Shampoo and me.' but then that thought faded, when he saw a blood trail leading directly to the window. There was more on the windowsill, making it obvious what had ocurred. "Oh no," he said as he jumped out, desperately seeking some sign of Akane on the ground below.

Akane ran and ran. Soon the rain stopped, but the clouds were still dark, covering the greater Tokyo area in a deep fog that made it difficult to figure out just where she was. She could still sense the direction of her goal, however, and covered the ground between her and it as fast as her injuries would allow her to go. Every time she faltered, every time she thought about giving up and turning back around, Saffron's haunting laughter would surround her and she'd be assaulted with new visions of her loved one's deaths. Saffron had a wicked sense of creativity when it came to crafting deaths, and she found her strength renewed again and again as she vowed to never allow such things to happen to those she cared about. She was being carried along solely on the desire to keep her family and loved ones safe from Saffron's wrath.

Ranma could not remember another time that he had moved as fast as he was going at the moment. The streets and rooftops of Nerima were almost a blur as he sped from location to location, hoping against hope that he'd catch sight of Akane somewhere along the way. "Damn it! Where the hell can she be?" he swore hotly as he vaulted another building. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a person running. He looked that way and saw the person was wearing a blue shirt of the exact same type that he'd put on Akane earlier. The person had short, dark-blue hair, and was unmistakeably Akane. Ranma could tell that her greivious injuries were slowing her down, but marveled that she was on her feet at all, considering what she'd been through only hours before.

"Akane!" he called out to her. He saw her stumble for a moment, as if she really wanted to stop, but then she recovered and put on a burst of speed that surprised even Ranma.

"Akane, stop! Come back here!" he yelled after her, confused as to why she was running. She looked like she was heading toward the forest, but he was intimately familiar with that location and couldn't think of any reason to go there, especially with how badly she'd been injured. He too quickened his already breakneck pace, intent on catching up to her before she managed to damage herself any further. There were some dangerous places in that forest, and he didn't want her anywhere near them.

"Akane? Why are you running?" he called out again, but she didn't stop, she didn't answer, she just kept going.

'Don't look back! Don't look back!' she keep saying to herself. Akane knew Ranma was close to her, and that if he caught up to her that she wouldn't be able to get away. She hated herself for running from him, but if she didn't, then he and her family- everyone she cared about would be killed, brutally murdered by Saffron. She could sense that she was nearing the location that she was supposed to go to, so she spurred herself on, wishing with every step that she was going the other way, to collapse into Ranma's arms. Again, there was the flash of an image, and another death. Muscles already aching and blood flowing freely from her many wounds, she leapt from the top of a cliff, trying to put some more distance between her and her fiancee. Trees loomed up at her from below. The cliff was a lot higher than she'd thought!

When Ranma saw her jump off the cliff, panic tore through him. It was a jump that only a handful of people in the world could make unscathed, and Akane's aerial mastery did not place her amongst those that could do so. As for the Nerima martial arts crowd, the people that could make it was himself (of course), Ryoga (if only because he couldn't be damaged by anything so mundane as crashing into the ground from a six-story fall), Cologne and Happosai, and maybe Shampoo. He could see the terrified look shoot across Akane's face as she looked below her. "Akane!" he yelled as he dove after her. He saw her falling and found himself wishing for the first time in his life that he could fall faster. He watched, stricken, as Akane crashed into the trees below.

There was pain as Akane hit the trees, but it was bearable. Then she hit the ground, and pain so fierce it blossomed into a fantastic light show in her vision exploded through her. It became dark for a moment, but then she saw fire… and her family... and Saffron smiling as he roasted them slowly, mocking her with his voice. "So… fail shall we? You know the price of failure." he loomed above the fires, then he chuckled. Akane saw the blood flow from what used to be Kasumi, the flames intensified around her father, Saffron reaching out to taste the juices flowing from Nabiki. "Just about right!" He smiled as he bit into her. Tears came to Akane's eyes "NOO!" she screamed, regaining consciousness and jumping up just as Ranma drew close again.

Her trajectory was imperfect, however, and she began to roll down a steep incline, bowling over small brush and trees on her way, adding to the already disturbing number of injuries she already bore.

"Akane!" Ranma yelled as rushed towards her, unable to keep pace with her uncontrolled descent.

Akane then came to a painful stop as she hit a tree full-force. She felt like the darkness was going to take her, but then looked up and saw a winged woman above her. She had short snow-white hair, and white wings, and looked rather familiar. She bore an evil-looking smile on her face as she looked down on Akane's prone form.

"It's about time you came," she said, but then Kima's head snapped the other way when she heard Ranma's bellowed challenge.

"KIMA! YOU GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Ranma's face was twisted into pure fury, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white, and he looked like he was ready to fight to the death. Even Kima had a hard time keeping her composure when faced with the full brunt of Ranma's wrath.

Kima looked at Akane, "You were to come alone!" she yelled, furious that the plan hadn't worked out as perfectly as it had been supposed to. Lord Saffron would see it as yet another in a long list of her failures, she was certain.

Ranma froze for a moment, uncertain what to make of what he had just overheard. What did she mean, 'come alone'? What was Kima doing here in the first place, and why was Akane supposed to meet her alone way out here in the middle of the forest?

Akane willed herself to get up, knowing that this was likely to be the last she ever saw of her old life. She turned to face Kima, doing her best to keep her anger under control. "It's not my fault that he followed me, " Akane said bitterly. She turned to face her fiancee, meeting his gaze with a look that Ranma could not read. It was determined, but at the same time sadder than anything Ranma could ever recall seeing on her. "R-Ranma... please understand… I..." she said as she stood in front of Kima.

Ranma looked on in abject bewilderment. "Akane what the hell is going on?" he asked furiously.

Akane flinched at his outburst, then forced herself to look him in the eye once more as she tried to explain. "Ranma… I don't know… but all I know is that I... I have to get as far away from you as I can!" she cried, hating herself more for every moment that she had to endure with this decision. Still, when faced with her choice against the grim deaths of everyone she knew, she would make the same choice again in a heartbeat.

Ranma looked at her in shock. "You... don't want to be anywhere near me?"

Akane took another step towards him and said, "That's… not what I meant I -" but was cut of by Kima.

"Come on girl! You know Lord Saffron doesn't like to wait!" Kima growled, already upset by the apparent failure. Still, as long as she brought Akane to her master, then her primary objective was accomplished, no matter what else happened. She waved her hand and then a black and purple portal shimmered into existence, ready to transport the two females across space all the way to her emperor's aerie in Phoenix Mountain.

Akane looked at Kima despairingly made a quiet request, barely audible to Ranma.

"Just... let me say goodbye to him." she then looked at Ranma.

Kima hesitated, then nodded. "You'd better not try to escape, Tendo. You know the price of failure."

Akane lowered her gaze to the ground. "I won't. I made a promise and I won't break it. I'll come back as soon as I've said goodbye to Ranma."

Ranma did not think he could be any more confused than he was now, but he was wrong. "Goodbye?" he asked.

Akane approached Ranma, taking care to hide the pain she was in. When she stood before him, she had trouble looking him in the face. "Ranma I'm so sorry... It wasn't supposed to be like this." she said, then she put her hand on his cheek, and held it firmly as she kissed him full on the lips.

Ranma 's eyes went wide in shock, as thoughts flew through his mind. 'Akane? Why is she going with Kima? Why was she running form me? What the hell is going on?

Akane? Is she kissing me? Kissing me? Akane is Kissing me?' He felt So confused and yet at the same time happier than he could remember since the day he was cured of the weakness moxibustion. Everyone one of the kisses he'd had in the past just did not feel right. They'd been uncomfortable and awkward. But this- this felt right. And for a moment of his life, he forgot everything, all the sadness, all the fighting, he even forgot where he was and what he had been in the middle of trying to do.

Suddenly, Akane pulled away from Ranma, cutting the kiss short. Ranma looked at her, still in shock. His mind was full of questions, of feelings that he'd tried his hardest to submerge for a long time now. Then he saw the tears running down the side of her cheek, and peered at her, his concern and curiosity evident on his face.

"I .. I should have told you… how I felt." Akane murmured as she took another step back, towards Kima and the strange portal.

"A-Akane," Ranma whispered, but was cut off when Akane suddenly turned around and ran towards the portal, moving so fast that Ranma's beleaguered mind couldn't react fast enough to stop her as she leapt in. Ranma could almost feel a very odd stretch in the universe, as thought something very wrong had just happened, something that was never supposed to happen. Kima shot him a very odd look for a split second before leaping into the portal as well, vanishing in the same fashion as Akane had.

"Akane!" Ranma yelled and he too made for the portal. He stretched his hand out to grasp at it, but the portal snapped shut only a moment before he could get to it, and he was left in the forest all alone, with blood stains all over his undershirt from when Akane had pressed up against him in her goodbye kiss.

"NOOO!" Ranma screamed as the portal closed before him, sealing Akane and Kima with it. Ranma hit the ground, breathless and more confused than he could imagine. "No... AKANE!" Tears streamed down his cheeks as questions bombarded him, seemingly from all sides. Many questions, but precious few answers. 'Did I just lose Akane? What the hell just happened? What the hell is happening? What the hell will happen to Akane? What promise did she make, and to whom? Did Akane really just kiss me? Did it mean anything? Or was she just trying to distract me? Did she like the kiss? Why did this happen? Was it truly Saffron who tried to kill Akane? What is going to happen now? WHERE IS SHE? Where the hell do I go to look for her? What the hell was that portal? Where did it go?...' Ranma's head began to spin, the questions were coming at him too fast for him to comprehend. He'd never been one for thinking, and his brain seemed to be trying to make up for lost time as it did its best to figure out his predicament. All this thinking was giving him quite a bad headache.

"DAMN IT!" Ranma kicked down a tree as he yelled. His roar echoed in the woods and birds began to fly away in fear. One question keep coming back to him over and over;

"Does she love me?" the look in her eyes when she said 'I should have told you how I felt...' tore at his heart, and once again the questions thundered through his mind like a herd of terrified elephants, trampling any other thoughts beneath them. 'Was it over?' Ranma shook his head, not believing it for a second. A name crossed his mind then, one that he had tried to forget since the fateful trip to China only a short time ago- Saffron. As soon as the name entered his mind, he knew deep in his gut that Saffron had somehow taken Akane. He began to feel an icy chill creep up his legs and settle within his belly. If Saffron wanted to take Akane, then that meant that Ranma had obviously not killed him enough the last time they'd fought. As if in response to his realizations, thunder sounded, and the rain that had abated for his chase resumed, now whipping the leaves of the trees above him in a fury that matched his own. The news would later call it the worst storm in the history of Japan. Ranma brushed the now-crimson hair from her face, and steeled her jaw.

"All right Saffron, you've made your move. Now it's my turn. I'm not gonna hold back this time, not when you've hurt Akane AGAIN! Do you hear me, you overgrown turkey! This means WAR!"

Writer :… oh man .. Okay well … Okay I'll just come out and say it! That Was Sad!

Akane: Yeah!

But Ranma was still blushing

Akane : Don't you think so Ranma ? *Looks over to Ranma *

Ranma *Blush* ..

Akane : What are you Blushing over?

Writer : *sly gin* oh.. I get it, you are a pervert Ranma

Ranma : Am Not!

Akane : What is it?

Writer : oh I think its cute! That you are thinking about it! 'Bout time I'd say,

Ranma *Blushes harder* I'm not thinkin' 'bout nothin'!

Akane : What the Hell are you two talking about?

*Writer leans over to Akane * Writer : he's thinking about how you two kissed

*Akane turns red * Akane : What?

Ranma : Akane! Wait I - wasn't!

*Crash *

*Ka-boom!*

Writer : aww aren't they cute? ,

Ranma :Help me!

Akane : I'll kill ya!

Beta Reader: Grr. That's about all I have to say about that. The vivid descriptions of corpses in this chapter are NOT going to help me sleep tonight, that's for sure. Good thing I'm doing this when I'm on 24-duty and don't GET to sleep tonight... Wow, I added almost 4000 words to this... that's kind of scary. No wonder it took me all night, that's as much as I normally write for some of MY chapters- and the longer ones, at that! Still, I did enjoy it, and I plan to keep it up, even if I'm moving at a snail's pace. Hope you're all willing to wait! I hope Sweety doesn't decide to quit waiting and post before I can get my grubby little fingers all over her story! I may have added a lot of words, but the storyline and plot (and even most of the dialogue) are still hers. She's the creative force behind this, I'm just doing what I can to help her vision along.

I know I wrote a lot extra already, but I can't get this next scene out of my head... it doesn't really fit with the seriousness of the rest of the chapter, but I figure it's best for us to check in on a certain lavender-haired amazon temptress who is going out of her mind with anticipation.

Beta Reader Omake:

It was almost time! She could feel it! Ranma's lips were quivering just a hair from hers, she was certain! Any second now... Any second...

Shampoo was grateful for the opportunity to finally kiss Ranma, but she felt like she'd been there waiting for hours! She dismissed the thought. It couldn't possibly have been hours already, could it? There was no way her Airen could possibly resist her ever-so-kissable (thanks to a trick passed down along three-thousand years of Chinese Amazon tradition) lips now that she was so ready for him, could he? Shampoo's anxiety became almost palpable in the air around her, thick with the anticipation of finally getting what she'd waited for for so long. What was another few minutes while Ranma played whatever game he wanted to play? As long as he kissed her, it didn't matter how long she had to wait. She wished she could open her eyes though, to see him as he neared her...


	4. Chapter 4 A Painful Story

Nightmare's Become Reality

Writer : hey y'all! I just wanna say Im soo sorrys for the wait but here it is! :) hope you all are happy with this and THANK YOU ALL so much for all the amazing comments! They made me sooo happy when I read them . Okay gonna let ya get to it now lol ^^

Akane : This Writer does not own Ranma½ so don't ya sue her she's good ^^

Writer: Yeah! Yeah! Me good, =)

Okay and Thanks go to

V

RanmaLove and My bata reader FrictionX24 they are sweet nice and supportive ,

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"The weather sure is terrible today," Ukyo said as she stepped outside. "I guess closing a little early won't hurt." Shivering slightly against the cold, Ukyo began to remove the store curtain she hung above the door to let everyone know that her business was open. As she lifted one side, however, someone cannonballed into her from the side, moving very fast. The two landed in a heap, arms and legs tangled with the curtain that had fallen with them.

"Hey! Watch where-" Ukyo began to berate the person who assaulted her, then realized something; She hadn't detected the person at all. That meant that it was a very skilled martial artist. There had been no killer intent, which pretty much ruled out an ambush from Shampoo – not to mention that it had seemed more like an accident than anything else. She quickly eyed the person laying on the ground with her. Martial artist, Chinese clothing, red hair – it all fell into place.

"Ran-Chan!" Ukyo exclaimed with delight.

"Oww..." Girl-type Ranma moaned. "Oh, hey Ukyo. Sorry." Ranma disentangled herself from Ukyo quickly and leapt to her feet, avoiding eye contact.

Ukyo was shocked. Ranma hadn't called her 'Ucchan' and he'd actually apologized for something! Something was definitely wrong here.

"Ranma-Honey, what's wrong?" she asked as Ranma began to leave.

Ranma stopped in her tracks and whispered just loudly enough for Ukyo to hear.

"Akane..."

Ukyo thought for a moment that Ranma and Akane had just been fighting again. Ever since they came back from China, Ranma had been more and more upset every time they fought. Ukyo began to shift into 'cute and supportive fiancée' mode when Ranma turned to look at her. The look in Ranma's eyes left no question in her mind. It wasn't a fight between Ranma and Akane, it was more than that. Something was really wrong, and whatever it was, was really serious. Ukyo's eyes went wide.

"Is-is she okay?" she asked. Ranma's face went blank as she looked down at the rain on the ground, and Ukyo felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. Without another word, she grabbed Ranma by the shoulder and pulled her into her shop. She pushed Ranma into a booth seat in the corner and left to get some hot water. Ranma didn't fight any of it. She was too despondent to resist.

When Ukyo returned, she upended the kettle over Ranma's head, restoring his true gender. She then sat herself opposite of him at the table. Ranma looked like he barely even noticed.

"Ranma… what happened?" she gently prodded.

Ranma just stared at the table, through eyes that looked like they saw right through the well-scrubbed wood.

"Ranma, what happened?" she asked again, more forcefully.

"…She… Akane..." Ranma said hesitantly, "I... I was too late."

Ukyo 's eyes widened. "Is she okay?" she asked, genuinely worried.

"I … don't know..." came Ranma's whispered reply.

Ukyo froze. She actually quite liked Akane. She was nice at times, and a real friend when push came to shove, and a good rival for Ranma's affections.

"Is she hurt..?" Ukyo asked quietly.

"Yes." He said, his face depressing and gloomy. It was the only answer Ukyo had heard out of him that he sounded certain of. That thought did nothing to help her feel better.

"Who did this?" Ukyo asked,

"I... don't really know..." Ranma answered, staring blankly.

"Will she be okay?" Ukyo asked when Ranma's silence became too long for her patience.

"I don't know..." he said.

"What happened?" she asked again, frustration beginning to show through her forced-calm demeanor.

"I don't know."

Ukyo was starting to understand why Akane frequently malleted her thickheaded fiancée.

"What were you doing walking around in the streets if you're so worried about her?" she asked. "Shouldn't you go find her?"

"I... can't… she's... gone." Ranma murmured, tears beginning to force their way out of the corners of his eyes.

"Gone? Where is she?" Ukyo asked, getting even more upset with Ranma's uninformative answers.

"I don't know." he said again,

"Well, what **do** you know?" she snapped, finally having had enough of Ranma's lack of information.

But Ranma looked like he was completely withdrawn into himself. Ukyo couldn't tell if he'd even heard her question as she saw his eyes suddenly focus and his fist grow clench so hard his knuckles turned white. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could and looked like he was about to cry or scream his head off, then suddenly his voice rang out, "That- That damned... Son of a BITCH!"

Ukyo was so surprised by his outburst that she fell to the floor in shock. As she picked herself up, she looked at Ranma's face. It was full of raw anger.

"Who..?" she asked slowly, not wanting to have Ranma's fury directed at her, but needing to know what was going on. At least Ranma seemed to have snapped out of whatever shock he'd been in before, although Ukyo wasn't certain that an angry Ranma was a good thing to be around either.

Ranma growled at her question, and Ukyo immediately wished she had not said anything. She couldn't meet Ranma's gaze, the hate he was showing was entirely too strong. Ukyo was starting to seriously worry for her safety. Suddenly, Ranma spoke up again.

"Saffron." he said, spitting out the name in utter disgust.

"S-Saffron..?" Ukyo asked, recognizing the name. She'd heard parts of the story from Ranma and the others about the trip they'd taken to China a few weeks before the wedding fiasco, but she didn't really recall much since she had just been happy that Ranma had come back to her. The name stood out though, and it sent chills down her spine the way Ranma's voice dripped vehemence as he'd mentioned it. "Ranma! Tell me again what happened. Tell me everything!" she said firmly.

"I don't know what happened... To her..." he said, uncertaintly creeping back into his voice for a moment.

"No Ranma, what happened when you all went to China..?"

Ranma looked up at her, "Ukyo… it's not really a fun story..." he whispered.

"Just tell me." she insisted.

Ranma looked back down at his feet. 'Maybe... Maybe if I talk about it... Then maybe I can think better.' The idea seemed to make sense. There certainly seemed to be a lot of information missing, and maybe if he went back over it, he'd be able to think of something.

And so he slowly started to tell Ukyo about the trip to China, but skipped certain parts that would hurt Ukyo to hear, such as the part when Kima- in her 'Spring of Drowned Akane' form- came into the bathroom while he was in it. Ranma stopped when he got close to the end, not wanting to think about the part when he'd almost lost Akane- when she'd been a tiny doll, him fighting Saffron as her eyes drooped lower and lower, her fighting for survival as he got closer and closer to the water that would restore her form and life to her.

"Ranma, w-what happened..?" Ukyo asked, unable to breathe. She hadn't heard this part during the previous retelling.

"I- I got the water, but she... and she looked like her old self... but she... She… she… wouldn't wake up…" he said, tears burning in his eyes, but not quite falling yet.

Ukyo had a hand to her mouth, shocked that Akane had come so close to death and she was only hearing about the whole event weeks later. Tears began to swim in the corners of her vision as well as Ranma continued his tale.

"She... she wasn't breathing Ukyo. She was suppose to breathe- I got her the water, but she... She still wasn't moving." he whispered softly, "I... I held her in my arms. She was so... so cold. It was so scary, I thought I was too late- that Akane'd... that she'd..." Ranma couldn't bring himself to finish. He sat there silently for a moment, then his face lit up. "But then I called her name, and she... she woke up. Her body couldn't move for a couple minutes, but she still came back..."

Ukyo let out a sigh she did not know she was holding. Ranma's relief was clearly visible on his face, but she wasn't sure if that made her happy or just nervous. Until today, she'd thought that she had the best chance with Ranma, but after hearing the full story of their trip to China, she was no longer quite so sure. Thinking about it just made her more and more uncomfortable, so she pressed Ranma to continue.

"Then what happened?"

Ranma obliviously felt significantly better after getting through the end of the fight and Akane's survival. His voice was much more sure as he finished off the story.

"We went to see if I could become a full man- if Nannichuan was still around, but it was raining too hard and it flooded the springs." he said, a frown crossing his face. "Then we came home. There was that awful failed wedding, and everything was back to normal. Then- then today..." he said, voice dropping off again at the end as a thoughtful look crossed his face. He sat quietly for another few moments before Ukyo prodded him to finish telling her what happened.

"Ranma?" she asked, trying to return him to reality.

"She... She looked so afraid- so weak, so delicate… I never have seen her like that." Ranma sounded hollow, like there was nothing inside him. It was like everything that made Ranma so alive and boisterous had just left him.

"What do you mean?" Ukyo asked for the umpteenth time.

Ranma looked up, "I don't know how it happened, but I heard her scream in her room. I ran to see what was wrong, and her room was completely trashed! Her window was broken, her bed was ripped up, her desk was slashed to ribbons, and she- she was in the corner, and was shaking so hard, and she was bleeding a lot."

Ukyo moved closer to Ranma, reaching out to touch him, to comfort him, but he shied away from her hand as he went on.

"I… we called Dr. Tofu, and he… he said that she- she almost… d-died .." Ranma said, choking out the last word.

Ukyo paled. From the sound of his voice, Ranma was barely keeping himself in check. She still wasn't certain if he was about to break down crying, or rush out the door and kill someone, or let loose the perfect Shishi-Hokou-Dan or what. She wasn't sure she could handle it no matter what he chose.

Ranma didn't even notice as he kept on speaking. "Her ribs were broken, and she had so many cuts and burns that we went through all the bandages in the house and then some, and Saffron- Dr. Tofu said that he tried to destroy her Ki itself."

It was almost too much for Ukyo. She was now really worried about Akane. "And Akane? Where is she now? "

Ranma looked up and said, "Then everyone went out to look for who it was who did it to her- They didn't know it was Saffron. I stayed behind to take care of her, in case whoever it was showed up again. Then Shampoo came and I had to make sure she didn't find out about Akane or she would try and kill her." He swore under his breath. Ukyo thought she could hear him sneer something about the word 'obstacles'.

Ukyo got more mad at the Amazon. She'd never liked Shampoo. Akane was always good-natured about the rivalry they had for Ranma- even if she acted like she didn't really want him- but the Amazon hussy was as sneaky as they came, a dangerously good fighter, and very... brazen towards Ranma to boot.

"Then I told Shampoo to, uh- close her eyes, and I tricked her and went to go and make sure Akane was okay..." Ranma's eyes got dark as he recalled Akane's room when he'd gone to check up on her. "But… she was gone."

"Gone? Like disappeared gone, or left the room gone?" Ukyo asked, but Ranma didn't answer her question.

"Then I jumped out of the widow and went looking for her. Soon I found her… and- and I called out to her, but she only stopped for a second then ran away faster." Ranma's face contorted in anger and he clenched his fists. "S-she should not have even have been up, but she was running! Running, trying to get away from me!" His voice clamored throughout the restaurant.

"Ranma..." Ukyo whispered, slightly frightened again. Ranma's story was barely making sense, and he was practically raving like a lunatic by this point.

"Then she- she ran into the forest, and she jumped off that cliff in there- that IDIOT!- and she got more hurt," His face got even redder with anger, "By the time I found her, she was with Kima! I got ready ta fight but then Kima said ,'You were supposed to come alone' an' then Akane said 'It's not my fault that he followed me'. .. S-she made a deal or somethin' to meet Kima! She is an enemy! What the hell was she meeting Kima for?" Ranma yelled, shaking with fury.

Ukyo only grew more confused as Ranma went on,

"Then she stood in front of Kima, and asked me ta understand why she did it, I asked her what was going on, and she said that she had to get away form me, then Kima said something like, 'Come on- 'Lord' Saffron doesn't like to wait' or some crap like that, then this strange portal thingy came up in the air behind her, and then..." Ranma gulped, "Th-then Akane said… 'let me say goodbye'..." Ranma could barely whisper that last part.

Ukyo had never seen such a hurt, lost look on Ranma. It was breaking her heart to see it on him.

"Goodbye?" Ukyo prodded gently, hoping against hope that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"Then she said... she said she was sorry." Ranma said, blushing slightly. He did his best to hide it, but it was unmistakable as it lit his features. Ukyo's heart dropped into her belly as she saw it on him, knowing that whatever he said next was going to hurt her terribly.

Ranma just tried to push the uncomfortable feelings down as he continued, "Then she told me- she said she should have told me how she felt." he said, face darkening in depression once more.

Ukyo felt the jealousy surge within her. She was about to tell Ranma not to believe it; that Akane was obviously just toying with him and he should just forget her, but then Ranma softly began speaking again.

"Then she ran into the portal, and Kima followed her, and I tried to, but the darn thing closed before I could get there, and Akane – Akane's..." Ranma's voice cracked, and tears began to slip out of the corners of his eyes again, this time spilling freely down his cheeks as he choked out Akane's name.

Ukyo mind was whirling. She had so many thoughts that she wasn't sure about, but let one thought slip out of her mouth.

"So then... Akane 's a traitor?" She asked, immediately regretting it.

Ranma 's eyes snapped up and he shouted,

"No! S-She would never! Never!" he yelled as he stood up, knocking the seat down behind him.

"B-but Ranma-honey, she went with Kima, so doesn't that mean…" Ukyo protested as rose from her seat as well.

"I don't care what you think it might mean! I know Akane! And she would never become a traitor!" he snapped again, this time leveling the full extent of his anger at Ukyo.

Ukyo looked at him and winced. Ranma was seething with barely-controlled rage and it was directed at her because she'd made a thoughtless comment. She opened her mouth to apologize, but as soon as she met his eyes her mind went completely blank and her mouth froze. She was completely unable to think of anything to say to him to calm him down. As she watched, Ranma's eyes softened and he grimaced as he looked away from her.

"U-Uc-Chan... I'm sorry..." he said letting his anger go, "I shouldn't of gone off on ya like that."

"It's Cool Ran-chan," Ukyo let out her breath nervously, glad that Ranma wasn't about to turn her into paste for calling Akane a traitor. "Look, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just thinking out loud." she said, gingerly putting her hand on his arm.

He looked down at her hand, then up to her face and asked,"What am I gonna do, Ucchan?"

Inwardly, Ukyo cheered to hear him call her 'Ucchan' again. She used that happy feeling to muster up the best smile she could manage as she answered him. "What else Sugar? We go save her!"

In contrast to Ukyo, Ranma's frown deepened. "No, Ukyo." he said, eyes once again focused on the floor.

"What do you mean 'no?' you're not going to save her?" Ukyo asked, not believing her ears.

"No Ukyo, you can't come." he said, in a quiet but firm tone.

Ukyo's face darkened in anger. "What? You mean you let Shampoo, Mousse, **and **Ryoga come to china but now you don't want me?" her voice low and even. Her hurt tone was apparent even to Ranma.

"No Ukyo! You wanna know why? Because last time somebody I cared about got near Saffron they almost **died**! You think I want to go though that again?"

Ukyo winced at Ranma's outburst, but inwardly was elated that Ranma cared about her. She wasn't about to let that fact get her left behind yet again, however.

"Ranma, Akane is my friend too, and I want to help. I know you are worried but I'll be okay? I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years."

Ranma's eyes softened, and he looked away from Ukyo. A small, worried voice escaped from his lips. "So could Akane..."

"Well I'm not Akane! And I can! I'm stronger than you think!" Ukyo shouted him down, determined to accompany her childhood friend no matter the consequences.

"Akane's stronger than you think, Ukyo! Could you be a delicate doll that has to go into a fire tornado and get tossed around while being use as a shield and – and..." he screamed, but lost his momentum when he met Ukyo's eyes staring into his. They were resolute, with no room for compromise or change. They reminded him a lot of eyes that he was used to seeing in the mirror, or every time he looked at Akane.

Ukyo looked down, escaping Ranma's desperate gaze, and said softly, "No, I'm not sure I could do any of that… but I will come with you."

"No-" Ranma attempted to reason with her, to make her see the danger, but was cut off.

"No Ranma. I will come." Ranma saw that the look she had in her eyes was not diminished. If anything it was only stronger, and he felt that not even he could break her determination.

He looked down and sighed, "Okay Ukyo, but you have to swear to me that if it gets too dangerous that you will run as fast as you can as far away as you can."

As Ukyo locked eyes with Ranma again, she gasped inwardly. Ranma's eyes looked to be made of sapphire- cold and hard. It was a very unsettling look to see in him. The look in his eyes, combined with Ranma's demand of her, made Ukyo begin to wonder if she had made the right choice to follow him back to China to face his worst enemy again. Ukyo looked down, knowing that if she said yes that she would have to run away like Ranma wanted. She silently cursed herself for hesitating even a moment, and began to answer as she looked back up at his face. Her refusal died as she met his eyes again, however. "N-no … I"

"Promise!" he demanded again, more forcefully than the last.

Transfixed by Ranma's withering gaze, Ukyo could do nothing but concede. "All right! Okay! I swear I'll run if it gets too dangerous!"

Ranma then almost smiled for a moment. Relief was readily apparent in his voice as he spoke again, "Thank you, Ucchan."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever- but you better know that I'm not too happy with you." she said, smiling a little at her desired fiancee.

"Well I hope you get over it, 'cause it makes me upset when you're mad at me." He shot her Saotome Grin 24(patent pending), doing his best to make them both forget the trouble they were about to go through.

Ukyo smiled as she rolled her eyes at him and said "Okay, I'm done being mad." And she giggled at his smile- the same smile that he'd shown her so much as children, the same smile she saw frequently here in Nerima, and the same smile that told her that she was his friend no matter what else happened. For most of her life, she'd thought that the smile had meant that he loved her. Now she was no longer quite so certain, but she was determined to be with him regardless. Whether as a fiancee or as a friend, she wasn't sure- she'd worry about that after the upcoming trip to China.

/*\\^/*\\^/*\\^/*\\^/*\\^/

Akane struggled against consciousness. She felt cold, and uncomfortable, and dirty. Above all this, however, was the pain. The myriad of tiny cuts all across her body throbbed and burned, as though each and every tiny scratch was catching on fire, then passing the flame to another wound and snuffing itself out, leaving a dull pain just waiting its turn to light again. Movement seemed only to make it worse, so Akane did her best to do as little of that as possible. Aside from the pain, Akane could make out the rough texture of stone under her knees, and the feel of metal at her wrists and ankles. Of all the times she'd been captured, this was by far the most secure any of her abductors had kept her.

She only hoped that meant that Saffron didn't intend to marry her. Now that she'd admitted her feelings for Ranma – even if she couldn't tell him when she'd had the chance – she didn't want to marry anyone else, even if she never saw Ranma again. She considered her predicament. If it meant Ranma's safety, and her family's safety, then she hoped that she would never see him again. More than any other thought she had, that one really got to her. She recalled for the twentieth time the last time she'd seen him, when she'd kissed his lips and walked away. The look on his face chilled her to the bone. She desperately wished she could go back and explain to him her reasons, that she'd told him how much he meant to her, that she could have convinced him why it was so important that she leave.

Instead, she could only imagine what he was doing now. Probably he'd gone to Ukyo's for some okonomiyaki from his _cute_ fiancée. Or to Shampoo's for some ramen and to get felt up by the oversexed Chinese powerhouse. Akane sighed inwardly – it hurt too much to do it for real. Ranma never had to rescue Ukyo or Shampoo. They were both far too strong for that. In fact, Ranma would probably bring one or both with him when he came to... oh yeah, Akane had told him not to come.

Akane's self-deprecating thoughts were cut short as the screech of metal shifting on metal – hinges in terrible need of some maintenance – caught her attention. She tried to sit up to face whoever it was that was approaching, but found her body only willing to shift slightly. Her wounds burned anew as she struggled to rise. Her knees scraped on the rough stone, causing her skin to break again and smear the gritty surface with her blood. She lifted her head and saw a white blur, with legs. Akane grit her teeth and forced herself painfully to sit up straight. As she rose, her vision swam slowly back into focus – just in time to hear Kima's voice ring out.

"Lord Saffron, the girl is awake." Kima sounded wary, as if she wasn't sure what was going to happen – or that she did know, and didn't like it.

Saffron stalked over to where Akane knelt on the hard stone surface. His voice shocked Akane. She'd heard his voice in her dreams, always threatening, but to hear it in person brought a sense of stark reality that scared her.

"Good, it's about time." He leered, contempt dripping from his words.

Saffron's approach had shed light into her surroundings, and Akane could now make out the walls of her tiny cell. It looked a lot like the one she'd been in last time she'd been here, with the same bleak walls and a black iron gate. Somehow, it seemed even darker and more foreboding than before, however. Akane glanced to her side. Her wrists were shackled by a short chain connected to the dirty wall. She couldn't quite stand all the way up, and she couldn't raise her hands in front of her. She'd been left completely open and defenseless. Saffron knelt down and brought his face to only a few inches from Akane's. He had a smirk that reminded her briefly of Ranma's, except Saffron's held little mirth- and no mercy.

"So, are you ready... to become my slave?" His sneer grew wider as he slid his index finger along the bottom of her chin in a gesture that was an absolute mockery of anything intimate or pleasurable.

Akane steeled her jaw and stared intensely at the floor in an attempt to hide how desperate and angry she was feeling. Saffron grinned and dug his claw into her skin, forcing her to raise her head and once again stare at him, anger smoldering in her eyes. Saffron's eyes sparkled as he prepared to completely dominate her will.

"Welcome to my world..." he said, placing his hand over her eyes. He slowed his breathing, and began to push with his will. His hand began to glow with a deep reddish hue, and his eyes began to blaze with white hot fury.

Akane was trying to figure out how she was going to bite him when her vision was met with a flare of red, then moved to sudden black. She was briefly reminded of the blackness that had overtaken her in nightmares – a heavy blackness with the feeling of _things _inside of it, watching her. She braced herself for the burning feeling she was certain was going to accompany Saffron's hand. She'd already had a personal encounter with the flames he could create, and didn't relish the thought of feeling more. Still, if it would keep him away from Ranma and her family...

The burning didn't happen. Instead, Akane could feel a strange pushing sensation in her head, almost as if something were prodding her mind. Suddenly the feeling became much sharper and more painful, as though a tiger were unsheathing its claws in the back of her head. She screamed in pain, and heard the sound echo throughout the dungeon. The small part of her mind that never quite shut down noted that no other sound she'd ever heard here ever echoed like that had. The rest of her consciousness was locked in an intense struggle, fighting to keep going. Slowly but surely, it seemed as though all of her determination and emotions were being pulled away from her.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream tore past where Kima waited for her liege just outside the entrance to the dungeons. The fact that the walls were specially built to block out any sounds issuing from the dank corridors sprang to Kima's mind. She shuddered at the thought of what was happening inside. The guard with whom she stood visibly shook for a moment, as though trying to shake a chill from his system. Kima silently wished she could be as blatant – the chill she felt would keep her shivering all night as she tried to sleep.

"What is the Lord Saffron doing, Mistress Kima?" asked the guard, unease obvious in his voice.

"He... is invading her mind."

"My lady?" he asked, confused.

Kima sighed and explained, "You see when you have a dream, time does not make sense. Reality is malleable. Say you become powerful- when you wake up, you're weak and pathetic again. Well with Lord Saffron," she grinned, "He can make your world hell, he can torture you as he invades your mind and when you wake, you will have most of the scars still fresh upon your skin."

"Most?" The guard was now trembling visibly with fright.

Even Kima couldn't keep the fear out of her voice. "He may give and take what he wants – what he wants you to feel when you wake, and what you don't."

"What do you think he intends to do with this girl?" the guard asked.

Before she could stop herself, Kima answered, "I believe he plans to make her more powerful, but emotionless." then Kima frowned. This lowly guard was asking too many questions. Kima could understand wanting to know more. Either wanting to know more, so she could come to terms with her part in the kidnapping and torturing of a teenaged girl- with whom she also happened to share an appearance half the time – or wanting to know less, so she could pretend it wasn't happening at all. Her king was comitting abominable acts all in the name of revenge. She again resisted the urge to shiver. Peering at the guard, she tried to figure out the reason for his curiosity. She wasn't that familiar with this one, she'd have to replace him with someone she knew she could trust. She found herself wondering just for a moment whether or not she could trust her own ruler, but shook such thoughts away and shouted at the guard, taking her frustrations out on him.

"But what do you care, fool? Now Off With You!" she yelled as she kicked at the man, sending him scurrying away down the corridor. As his footsteps faded, she heard the screech of metal on metal once again, and realized that the screaming had stopped. Lord Saffron must have finished what he was doing.

The Pheonix monarch opened the door and came out. Kima tried to fix her mouth into her best fake smile, hoping to hide her thoughts from him, but when when she caught sight of him, the smile fell from her lips. Lord Saffron looked pale, and with the experienced eyes of a warrior she could tell he was extremely fatigued.

"L-lord Saffron?" she asked, and took a step towards him. He put a hand up to stop her, and gave her a glare she felt that she would not soon forget. She was definitely going to have nightmares again tonight. Saffron swept by her, on his way down the corridor, but a few steps later his gait faltered and he stumbled slightly. Kima leapt forward and caught him, throwing one of his arms over her shoulder as she helped him to stay upright.

"Lord Saffron?" she asked again, only to be roughly shoved aside.

The sullen ruler stalked towards his room, followed closely by Kima. When they arrived at his room, Saffron went straight to his bed.

Kima followed him in, worried for him. As he lay down, she asked delicately, "My Lord, Are you-"

"Leave me." he interrupted, a surly voice to match his sullen disposition.

Kima had no choice but to obey. "Yes Lord,"

As Kima took her exit Saffron brought one hand up to his nostrils, reflexively reacting to an odd sensation there. His hand came away bloody.

"Damn That girl! She is more powerful then I thought... No matter, all I must do is rest a bit, then I will have all the power I need." he said, smirking as he shut his eyes.

…

Akane's eyes screwed shut as tightly as she could make them. The session with Saffron had been the most painfully exhausting experience of her life. Her thoughts were dim, disorganized and fuzzy. Her body finally gave in to the intense weariness she felt and she welcomed the blackness as it loomed in before her, offering respite from consious thought. Just before it overtook her, one last image of Ranma flitted across her view. It was just before she'd followed Kima into the portal. He was dirty, bruised, exhausted and … and the most amazingly handsome man Akane had ever seen. He reached for her just as the darkness overtook her senses.

"No…" she whispered, and then could think no more.

Writer: Okay I got just a few things to say then I gotta go. I will NOT be having Akane and Saffron getting together lol. Just making sure you all knew dat Okay there is not much more to say,(other then I have the best bata reader in tha world !) but hope you liked it ^-^ but got to go now, because I'm not feeling too good , and I think I'm going to be sick , donno why but I really need to stop .. Now.. lol

God Bless!

Beta Reader: Yeah, that stuff mucks with your head when you get into it too much. That's one reason it's taken so long to get this done. Everyone who's upset about why this took so long should blame me. I had these chapters for months before I finally finished with them. (June-ish if I recall right.) My apologies to all of you.

Word count 2972 before I changed anything. 5738 after. As I said in a previous chapter, her work is a wonderful scaffold on which works of art can be made. I am honored that she's allowing me to be her beta, even if it is taking me forever. Working 60-80 hours a week sucks.

Writer: aw sorry you gotta work so much. But THANK YOU for helping me with all this :]


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